Ed Hinton
Encyclopedia
Edward Talmage "Ed" Hinton (b. July 21, 1948, Laurel
, Mississippi
) is currently a senior motorsports columnist for ESPN.com.
Hinton attended the University of Mississippi
and later The University of Southern Mississippi
, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, graduating in 1970. He began working for the Orlando Sentinel covering the NASCAR
racing
circuit. Hinton moved to Atlanta, Georgia
and married his current wife, Snow, in 1983. In the late 1980s, Hinton joined the new sports daily newspaper
, The National, which folded after only a few years. In 1988, he and his wife had their only child, Tyler.
In 1993 Hinton joined Dallas Cowboys
football
coach Jimmy Johnson and wrote Turning the Thing Around. Hinton was then hired as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated
, widely considered the greatest sports magazine
in the U.S.
In May 1999, Hinton was involved in a controversy at Sports Illustrated with the Indy Racing League. Three spectators were fatally injured after a tire went into the grandstands during a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway
. The IRL deemed Hinton's and SIs coverage of the accident insensitive and inappropriate, and revoked Hinton's credential
s for the 1999 Indianapolis 500
. In response, The Chicago Tribune and The Detroit News
announced they were boycotting the race. A few days later, Hinton's credentials were restored, and he reportedly attended.
In 1999, Hinton and his family moved to North Carolina
, and in 2000, Hinton returned to the Sentinel and the Chicago Tribune
newspaper chain.
On January 2, 2008, Ed Hinton left the Sentinel and Chicago Tribune newspaper chain. On July 3, 2008, ESPN
announced that it had hired Hinton as a senior writer for its digital platforms.
. Hinton and the Sentinel suspected that, like Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty
, Earnhardt's cause of death had been basilar skull fracture
(Hinton had recently published a three-part series on the subject of NASCAR safety) and claimed that under Florida
law, the state was legally required to turn over Earnhardt's autopsy
photographs. Teresa Earnhardt
and others claimed the newspaper could not have access to the photographs, leading to a First Amendment
legal battle which was finally concluded by an official NASCAR report on Earnhardt's death.
Laurel, Mississippi
Laurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
) is currently a senior motorsports columnist for ESPN.com.
Hinton attended the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and later The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...
, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, graduating in 1970. He began working for the Orlando Sentinel covering the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
racing
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
circuit. Hinton moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and married his current wife, Snow, in 1983. In the late 1980s, Hinton joined the new sports daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The National, which folded after only a few years. In 1988, he and his wife had their only child, Tyler.
In 1993 Hinton joined Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach Jimmy Johnson and wrote Turning the Thing Around. Hinton was then hired as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, widely considered the greatest sports magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
in the U.S.
In May 1999, Hinton was involved in a controversy at Sports Illustrated with the Indy Racing League. Three spectators were fatally injured after a tire went into the grandstands during a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. The IRL deemed Hinton's and SIs coverage of the accident insensitive and inappropriate, and revoked Hinton's credential
Credential
A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so....
s for the 1999 Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. In response, The Chicago Tribune and The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
announced they were boycotting the race. A few days later, Hinton's credentials were restored, and he reportedly attended.
In 1999, Hinton and his family moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and in 2000, Hinton returned to the Sentinel and the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
newspaper chain.
On January 2, 2008, Ed Hinton left the Sentinel and Chicago Tribune newspaper chain. On July 3, 2008, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
announced that it had hired Hinton as a senior writer for its digital platforms.
Death of Dale Earnhardt
On February 18, 2001, NASCAR driver and long-time friend of Hinton, Dale Earnhardt, was killed on the final turn of the Daytona 500Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. Hinton and the Sentinel suspected that, like Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty
Adam Petty
Adam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...
, Earnhardt's cause of death had been basilar skull fracture
Basilar skull fracture
A basilar skull fracture is a fracture of the base of the skull, typically involving the temporal bone, occipital bone, sphenoid bone, and/or ethmoid bone....
(Hinton had recently published a three-part series on the subject of NASCAR safety) and claimed that under Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
law, the state was legally required to turn over Earnhardt's autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
photographs. Teresa Earnhardt
Teresa Earnhardt
Teresa Earnhardt was the third wife and is the widow of Dale Earnhardt. She is the biological mother of Taylor Nicole Earnhardt and she is the stepmother of Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Teresa is currently the president and Co. Chief Executive Officer of...
and others claimed the newspaper could not have access to the photographs, leading to a First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
legal battle which was finally concluded by an official NASCAR report on Earnhardt's death.